Plenty of autumn contenders will be on show at Tuesday's Rosehill barrier trials and for trainer Con Karakatsanis, just having News Alert there will be a significant moment.The multiple stakeswinner contracted a severe stomach infection last winter while campaigning in Brisbane which had the gelding fighting for his life."He got pretty crook after the (Doomben) 10,000," Karakatsanis said."What the vets said was it was a severe stomach infection and in the space of minutes and hours it poisoned h
Plenty of autumn contenders will be on show at Tuesday's Rosehill barrier trials and for trainer Con Karakatsanis, just having News Alert there will be a significant moment.
The multiple stakeswinner contracted a severe stomach infection last winter while campaigning in Brisbane which had the gelding fighting for his life.
"He got pretty crook after the (Doomben) 10,000," Karakatsanis said.
"What the vets said was it was a severe stomach infection and in the space of minutes and hours it poisoned his body. He went from 110 per cent healthy to very sick.
"We're not sure how he picked up the bug and through his body trying to fight it he got really sick and dehydrated.
"He actually went down for a while which scared the hell out of me.
"But he's a very, very tough horse, one of the toughest I've had anything to do with."
News Alert spent three months at Redlands Veterinary Clinic in Queensland recovering and then another three months in the paddock.
The six-year-old is entered for a 1030m trial on Tuesday and Karakatsanis hasn't planned too far ahead.
"I haven't rushed him, he probably could have trialled two weeks ago," Karakatsanis said.
"I'll see how he trials and see how he comes through it and then go from there.
"So far it looks like he's come back all right but you don't know how well they've come back until they are put under race pressure."
News Alert has won eight of his 27 starts.
In 2009 he recorded stakes wins in the Listed Chief De Beers (1110m), Group Three Healy Stakes (1200m) and Listed Lightning Handicap (1100m), and he also claimed the Listed Canterbury Classic (1100m) in January last year.
"It's great to have him back, I kind of missed the horse because he's one of the special horses I've got and he means a lot to me," Karakatsanis said.
"That horse probably means as much as Black Piranha to me."
News Alert's dual Stradbroke Handicap-winning stablemate Black Piranha is still in the paddock with Karakatsanis yet to confirm autumn plans.
The gelding went to Perth at the end of last year and lost weight on the trip back home following his unplaced run in the Group One Kingston Town Stakes.
"At this stage I'm doing the right thing by him and giving him a good break," the Rosehill trainer said.
Karakatsanis isn't ruling out an autumn campaign for the seven-year-old but that will depend on how well the Group One winner does in the paddock.
"If he does really well, and reports are he is, there's still a chance at the Doncaster," he said.
"But his main aim will be to win a third Stradbroke."